DES MOINES, Iowa – A new park located east of downtown and just south of the East Village hopes to be the first of many new developments in what the city of Des Moines is calling the Market District.

Two Rivers Park opened this month, located just north of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and east of the Des Moines River, with approximately nine acres of green space. Wide open spaces are a key part of this park, which also boasts numerous native plants designed to be low-maintenance.

There are plenty of spaces to sit as well, from benches to picnic tables to swings. Many of those pieces are also made out of recycled materials, such as old wind turbine blades. The park is designed to be inclusive, with spaces for wheelchairs at picnic tables and lots of braille signs.

Two Rivers Park features a unique observation platform that’s elevated to give views of the river and downtown. Those involved with the design and construction of the park hope this will become a place to take photos.

The park is well-lit too, making it a space that can be used any time of day.

The land the park sits on is owned by MidAmerican Energy and has been for more than a century. MidAmerican will continue to own the park, and officials with the company hope the park will be a space for people to gather and connect. They foresee Two Rivers Park hosting festivals and events in the future.

MidAmerican officials also hope that Two Rivers Park will help attract new business and development to the Market District. That could look like new residential buildings and places for shops and restaurants. A person working on the Market District told WHO 13 News that new renderings and plans should be unveiled within the next few weeks.